Suspenders.



No. 697,905. Patented Apr. I5, I902.

I. WECHSLER.

SUSPENDERS.

(Application med Dec, 14, 1901.)

(No Model.)

WITNESSES: INVENTOI? 2% 5 JSZZQ! fiekwler MM By m: NORRIS Pzrzns co.. Pno'raumu, WASHINOYON, c.

ISAAC WEOHSLER, OF BROOKLYN, NEW YORK.

SUSPENDERS.

SPEGIFIGATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 697,905, dated April 15, 1902.

Application filed December 1 1, 1901. Serial No. 85,933. (No model.)

To all whom, it may concern.-

Be it known that 1, Isaac Wncnsnna, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of the city of New York, borough of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented new and Improved Suspenders, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention relates to improvements in devices for supporting trousers; and the object is to provide a device of this character so constructed as to be readily changed for use as ordinary suspenders or as a waist-belt; and a further object is to so form the metal clips at the front ends of the straps that they may engage one with the other to form a beltbuckle or engage independently with susponder-ends.

I will describe a convertible support for trousers embodying my invention and then pointout the novel features in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a rear elevation of a convertible support embodying my invention and showing the same as arranged for suspenders or shoulder-braces. Fig. 2 is a perspective view showing the device as arranged for a belt. Fig. 3 is a section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 2. Fig. 4 is a face View of the back plate or rear connection, and Fig. 5 shows one of the clips employed.

The device comprises two body-straps 5 6, designed to be passed over the shoulders of the wearer or around the waist. The rear ends of these straps 5 and 6 are pivotally connected together, so as to swing one relatively to the other. For this purpose I employ two ring-shaped plates 7 8, one engaging at the inner side of theoverlapped straps and the other engaging against the outer side. The ring-plate 7 is provided with a cross-bar 9 and the ring-plate 8 is provided with a crossbar 10. The ends of the straps 5 and 6 are passed between these ring-shaped plates, as clearly shown in Fig. 3, the strap 6 engaging against the inner side of the cross-bar 9, while the inner surface of the strap 5 engages over the outer surface of the cross-bar 10. A rivet 11 passes through the cross-bars and also through openings in the ends of the straps, and to prevent the rivet tearing out from the straps G I place a washer 12 between the inner headed end of said rivet and the material of the straps. Attached to the free ends of the strap by means of links 13, consisting of wire, are clip-plates 14, each clip-plate being provided near its end with a button member 15, and in the body portion of each clip-plate is provided a slot having an enlarged portion 16, through which the button 15 of the other clip may pass, and below this enlarged portion is a reduced portion 17, which is too small to permit the button-head to pass through it, but will admit the button-shank, and this reduced portion will prevent undue lateral play of a button when the shank is engaged therein. It will be noted in Fig. 5 that the button is located quite a distance from the end of the slot, so that there is very little danger of the clip-plate being broken by pressure brought to bear upon the button, because of the amount of metal between the button and slot.

When the device is used as a belt, the clip-' plates 14 form buckle members, and either one may be engaged with the other-that is, the button 15 of either member 14 may be passed into the slot of the other member, thus making it convenient for either left-hand or right-hand buckling.

When the device is used in the form of suspenders, the front suspender-ends 18 will be engaged with the clips 14, and therefore these Suspender-ends are provided with loop-plates 19, similar in construction to the plates or clips 14., and the back end strap 20 is also provided with a similar loop 21 for engaging with a button 22, attached to a tongue in an offset 23 on the ring-plate S. This tongue will act as a spring to hold the clip or loop closely against the offset and prevent accidental detachment.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. Aconvertible support for trousers, comprising two straps having overlapped ends, means for connecting said ends whereby the straps may be disposed to form a belt or arranged to pass over the shoulders of awearer,

links on the free ends of said straps,and clip" plates attached to said links, each plate having a slot reduced in Width at one end and a button on each plate located a distance from the reduced end of the slot, substantially as specified.

2. A convertible support for trousers, coniprising two straps having overlapping ends, ring-plates between which the straps pass, a pivot passing through said ring-plates and through the straps, an offset on one of the plates, a tongue in the offset, a button on the tongue and fastening-clips at the free ends of the straps, substantially as-specified.

3. A convertible support for trousers, comprising straps having overlapped ends, a ringplate engaging against the inner side of one of said straps and having a cross-bar, a ring ISAAC WEGHSLER.

WVitnesses:

JNo. M. BITTER, O. R. FERGUSON. 

